When I think of Rio de Janeiro I think of beautiful women, teeny weeny bikinis and a large Jesus statue (Christ the Redeemer). So during my recent stay there I planned a visit to see the big fellow. Now, I wouldn’t call myself religious (although I do consider myself to be somewhat spiritual) so I was unsure what to expect. Was I going to feel an overwhelming feeling of spiritual enlightenment? Or perhaps I would suddenly be inclined to buy some rosemary beads and say a few Hail Mary’s? Neither of these things happened but I was in awe of the iconic and very large statue. Christ the Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, created by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. The face was created by the Romanian artist Gheorghe Leonida. The statue is 30 metres (98 ft) tall, not including its 8-metre (26 ft) pedestal, and its arms stretch 28 metres (92 ft) wide. The statue weighs 635 metric tons (625 long, 700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city of Rio. A symbol of Christianity across the world, the statue has also become a cultural icon of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931. The idea of building a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid-1850s, when Vincentian priest, Pedro Maria Boss, suggested placing a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado to honour Princess Isabel, princess regent of Brazil and the daughter of Emperor Pedro II, although the project was never approved. In 1889, the country became a republic and, with the official separation of state and church, the idea was dismissed. The second proposal for a landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1920, by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The group organized an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. What motivated the organization was what they perceived as 'Godlessness' in the society at the time. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms, a symbol of peace, was chosen.


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Honored as one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, this 98 foot statue stands with his arms stretched, as if he is embracing all of his visitors. And it seems he has many visitors; two millions a year in fact. There are people from all walks of life who come to pay their respects to this majestic monument. And you really don’t need to be religious to understand the appeal. As one of the biggest statues in the world, there is much more to Christ the Redeemer than the religious aspects. He is situated at the peak of Corcovado mountain in Tijuca National Park, at a staggering 2,330 foot elevation. After a 9 year construction, Christ the Redeemer opened in 1931. Since then it has undergone a little beauty work including new lights, which were installed in 2000. At night the lights make it seem like he is hovering over the city. It’s an amazing sight (one which I could see from my hotel rooftop). The view from the top of Corcovado during the day is nothing short of spectacular either. On a clear day you can just about see all of Rio, Sugarloaf Mountain and the beautiful Atlantic. There are a few ways to get to Corcovado Mountain. From Copacabana there is a bus, which will take you to the train station at the bottom of the mountain. From there you catch the train up through the national park, which is a sight in itself. I went the easiest route and caught a cab from Copa Beach to the mountain, which cost $18 (USD). The train from the bottom of the mountain to the top runs every 20 minutes between 8.30am and 7pm daily. My advice is to get there early. I arrived at 8.50am and still had to wait nearly an hour for the next available train. I’m told it gets even worse as the day progresses. The train will cost you about $25 (USD), which includes your entry fee to the statue. If you can at all help it, try to go during the week. Although there are many visitors here every day of the year the weekdays are less crowded. Now if you are one of these fitness junkies, unlike myself, there is a great hike you can do through the national park to the top of the mountain. And just when you think you have made it to the top, there are 220 stairs waiting for you! But don’t worry, if you are allergic to extreme exercise like me, they kindly offer lifts and escalators to get you from where the train drops you off right to the big follow. As the most visited attraction of Brazil this is a must see on your visit to Rio.